New Brand of Tuning Machines

Jerryc41

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It's unfortunate that "tuner" can mean two different things to a ukulele player. This new tuner is what changes the tension on the strings. It's called RAT:O, and it's the "lightest tuner in the world." It's also geared to 6:1, which is supposedly perfect for a ukulele. I wish they were available now so I could try them.

This video would have been better without the music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z91...254745857&mc_cid=1cf1933a4d&mc_eid=85856b6a68

http://graphtech.com/products/brands/ratio/ratio-tune-a-lele-for-ukulele/?=U1
 
Does anyone have a spare ten characters they no longer need?

I suspect there will be many more threads if these tuners are produced in numbers and are distributed widely using the Graphtech network. If this does occur, a major benefit will be accessibility to many more ukulele players. Which will generate many "should I change" type posts. Think about the possibility of changing tuners as soon as your uke arrives as well as changing the strings. If these tuner become easy to find and buy in music shops across the planet, and they work as advertised, they will be popular.
The price will be an issue, looking at the Graphtech website, do they cost US$29.95 each, or is that for a set of four?

Pretty obviously a set of four. If they where US$29.95 each they would price themselves out of the market @ US$119.80 would they not?


If you can get a set for $30 or less, it will definitely fit into the same realm as changing out the strings as soon as you receive a uke. Graphtech sales and marketing could even have a sales strategy to just sell the product into the refit market as well as bulk sales to factories. Let the refit market drive the promotion and sales. How many UU members would change out their tuners tomorrow if they could just go to a local shop or order a set of tuners to arrive within week, for $30 a set, with the planetary gears at a weight of 5gms?
I know Gotohs and Pegheads are good as well, but the sellers and distributors make it very hard to find a set for the average punter. And they cost so much by the time they reach Australia.
Personally, I don't think you can beat a solid steel friction tuner to last for 100 years or more. Or a set of metal geared tuners. Plastic is a lot more vulnerable to age and all sorts of hazards, contact with the wrong substance or a stress point can cause it to crumble in your fingers.


What sort of ' Wrong Substance' would cause plastic tuners to ' Crumble in your fingers' ?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
 
I thought the back looked ugly--still do--but then I realized they may be made to use the same screw holes as are left by removing [most] geared tuners. That's a great idea, as you won't be left with holes in the headstock as you are off you replace geared tuners with friction tuners.
 
$29.95 for set of four is great price. Weight is excellent. Profile looks good and material I’m sure is fine. Graphite h is a super company. I’m sure these will be good tuners. I will put set on my TT spruce/ laminate as soon as I can get my hands on them. If they are good as they claim, huge market for DIY to upgrade cheaper ukes. I like the innovation. Let’s try them fellow users and see
 
I thought the back looked ugly--still do--but then I realized they may be made to use the same screw holes as are left by removing [most] geared tuners. That's a great idea, as you won't be left with holes in the headstock as you are off you replace geared tuners with friction tuners.

I thought the same thing. I hope they are like that so they're able to be a direct drop in replacement.
 
Well Bill, obviously you have never had the ' add ten characters message' if you had you might have been able to work it out yourself.
Now what is this awful substance that makes plastic tuners 'Crumble under your fingers'?. :D
 
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Teri and Curt bring up an important point: One big disadvantage of Gotoh UPT, to me, is that you have to do some reaming to install them, and that you still see the screw holes from previously installed geared tuners. Will these new Graphtech tuners slip right into place without drilling a bigger hole, and will the cap cover previous screw holes? If they do, they are a huge improvement over Gotoh. Otherwise, they are just a less expensive version of them. Ok, they are also lighter which will result in an instrument that has a lower center of gravity, but may also be adverse to sustain.
 
The price will be an issue, looking at the Graphtech website, do they cost US$29.95 each, or is that for a set of four? If you can get a set for $30 or less, it will definitely fit into the same realm as changing out the strings as soon as you receive a uke.

I'm sure the price is for a complete set. Compare that to the larger Gotoh tuners which cost three times that price. Gotohs also require an enlarging of the tuner hole - not an ideal situation. I bet they'll have trouble keeping up with demand if they are as good as the video implies.
 
I was tuning up my old uke this morning that I take down to the beach all the time and noticed how corroded the tuners have become. My problem with a beach environment has never been with the wood, I mean, I don't sit in the water and play it, the problem has been the tuners corroding from the salt in the air. Maybe these plastic tuners are the answer for that.

corroded tuners.jpg
 
I don't see anywhere that the $29.95 price is for a set, seeing the prices for GraphTech's other products, I believe the price is each. The $29.95 is MSRP, so street price could be 20% less, about $23 each. I buy bass tuners from HipShot, their own knockoff "license" versions and those are $75 a set of four.


9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 33)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video
 
I just called GraphTech, the price IS for a set of 4, $29.95, great, they could very well corner the market at that price. I told him to clarify that on their web site. He sent me a schematic, but the mounting plate is way to big to fit on my Fluke, which is my only uke with straight through tuners.


9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 33)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video
 
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Jerryc41 said:
"New Brand of Tuning Machines"

FYI - GraphTech is not a new company, nor are they new to making tuners, they've been in business over 30 yrs, as per

http://graphtech.com/about-us

Maybe this is a new model of tuner, but they are a well established company with a diverse range of products.
 
I just called GraphTech, the price IS for a set of 4, $29.95, great, they could very well corner the market at that price. I told him to clarify that on their web site. He sent me a schematic, but the mounting plate is way to big to fit on my Fluke, which is my only uke with straight through tuners.


9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 33)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video

If they are as good as they suggest they are, they will, indeed, corner the market. Gotoh will have to start selling hamburgers. I am waiting for reviews and availability.

Speaking of the Fluke, I put regular geared tuners on mine. They're facing backwards. I put Gotohs on a Firefly, and I bought a Flea with PegHeds.
 
I kind of like them. The material doesn't bother me (GraphTech are a serious brand and won't mess about) and the price is killer. I like how they may cover screw holes and seem to be a great upgrade option. Less so as a replacement for existing friction pegs with nothing to hide.

I do, however think the size of the backs are as ugly as hell. On a small headstock, the backs of these would totally dominate it. Doesn't matter how light weight they are - I'm not sure I want a headstock where the whole of the back is taken up by these.

I shall certainly try them out on something when they arrive over here though.
 
I kind of like them. The material doesn't bother me (GraphTech are a serious brand and won't mess about) and the price is killer. I like how they may cover screw holes and seem to be a great upgrade option. Less so as a replacement for existing friction pegs with nothing to hide.

I do, however think the size of the backs are as ugly as hell. On a small headstock, the backs of these would totally dominate it. Doesn't matter how light weight they are - I'm not sure I want a headstock where the whole of the back is taken up by these.

I shall certainly try them out on something when they arrive over here though.

I agree, the size of the backs would be an issue I think. But we will wait and see when some brave soul is first to try them. :)
 
Speaking of the Fluke, I put regular geared tuners on mine. They're facing backwards. I put Gotohs on a Firefly, and I bought a Flea with PegHeds.

I'm not crazy about the friction tuners I have, had to really tighten the knob screw to prevent them from slipping, which makes tuning that much more difficult. I have a set of standard geared tuners that might just barely fit. (I'm going to start a new thread about my Fluke.)


9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 33)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video
 
I'm a consumer of Graph Tech products, namely, for nuts and saddles. So when Gary over at GT wrote and asked if I'd like to test run a set I said sure. I just got them so I don't know how well they function. They seem smooth in operation and well made. But there is no overlooking the fact that they are obviously made of plastic. They molding lines and indentations on the knob are apparent. (The knobs also look a bit small for my tastes.) There's also some code letters or numbers on the housing which is a little weird. I'm sure they'll be fine in some applications. And You can't beat the price. As far as weight goes, I haven't had them on a scale yet but I figure they weigh about as much as a styrofoam packing peanut. ;) Certainly lighter than any tuner I've ever seen.
 

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